Marci goes Skating

Howdy folks...I'm back with another Marci card this week, and this time she's hit the ice! Meet Ice Skating Marci, isn't that little plaid skirt adorable?? I love paper piecing!!

I used some Cosmo Cricket Mitten Weather dp for my background, and another piece from the same pack to make Marci's skirt. I colored her with Copics, and cut her out. To build my scene, I started with the background, and the oval cut from shimmery white paper (which is what Marci was also stamped on...it works fabulous for copics!!) to make my ice rink. Then, I sponged the edges of 2 darker trees (ETA: The Tree is a die from PTI that my mom had brought when she visited and I cut a bunch o trees before she left!), added some polar white flowersoft to one side (because the sun melted it on the sunny side!) and put them BEHIND my ice. next, I used to lighter green trees (also sponged and snowed) to enclose my rink a little more. Finally, I added the felt snowdrift at the bottom to hem in the last bit of the rink.

I finished off the inside as well, stamping some snowflakes from a new Paper Pretties set (O Christmas Tree) and the sentiment from an older Paper Pretties Cooper set.

And if you're in the area, join us at a Trunk Show at Scrapbook Island in San Jose, CA on Friday, November 5th!!  Both Eric and Irina will be there to introduce the Marci and Luka stamps!! 

Your $10 ticket entitles you to:

- an EXCLUSIVE preview of our newest stamps!!

- Meet both artists (Eric Berry and Irina) and have your stamps autographed!! ;-)
- Make-and-Take

- a Goodie Bag with a FREE stamp

- Refreshments

- a chance to win a GRAND PRIZE valued $100!!

Don't miss out on this FUN party!!  Stop by Scrapbook Island or call the store at 408-978-8900 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              408-978-8900      end_of_the_skype_highlighting to purchase your tickets!! 

PWC126: another AWESOME sketch!

Frances has done it again - come up with an amazing sketch challenge for us this week, and I LOVE it!! I have to be honest...I made this card in less than 30 minutes, and I LOVE when I can do that! Because I didn't have an image to color, it was all picking papers, cutting, and lots of sponging!!

I used more of my Basic Grey Fruitcake paper (can you believe I bought that in the Netherlands and never opened it until I was back here in California and could have gotten it for half the price?? Figures!) along with some Cherry Cobbler, Sage Shadow, and Very Vanilla. I stamped the greeting from O Christmas Tree and after sponging on some Cherry Cobbler ink, I added teh snowflakes. Each is centered with a rhinestone for some extra sparkle. I added the Cherry Cobbler seam binding to finish off the card, and am quite happy with the end result!

Be sure to head on over to the Paper Pretties blog to see all the great creations today, and to link up your OWN entry for this week's challenge - you could win a Paper Pretties stamp set. You don't have to use a Prettie stamp to play (although we love it when you do!) just have fun with the great sketch!

MFT Plantin some Love

This month's MFT Guest DT contest is to use office supplies in our project somehow...so I thought I'd go simple. My layout is based on this week's Mojo Monday sketch 163.

I started with a blue card base and added some white felt clouds cut with my cloud die-namics. I added one layer of grass cut with my MS punch to the bottom, then my paper pieced (with dp and felt) then another layer of grass is popped on top of that. Lastly, I added the sentiment (sponged and distressed) with my paperclip.

I finished off the inside with some more grass and another tree stamped on vanilla and cut out with a nestie. Ok...back soon with my Wednesday Paper Pretties challenge post - happy election day everyone!

Paper Pretties Monday Whatnots

Ok...I'm very late today, but I have a reason. Yesterday, I made a card with this adorable new Rudolph digital stamp. And while I LOVE the image, I HATED the card. I colored it first, then went searching for some dp to go with it. That just doesn't work for me! I need to pick out my dp, THEN color my image to match. So...I've added the rejected card to the bottom for a comparison!

 I used last week's Mercy Tuesday sketch challenge for my layout, and some old retired SU! dsp. After picking out the dsp, I colored my image and cut it out with one of my label nesties.

I added some red satin ribbon and a red card base, and I was set! I'm MUCH happier with how this one turned out...and I hope you all are too! (see...just look at that card...horrible isn't it??)

Now head on over to the Paper Pretties website to get YOUR Rudolph image, and don't forget to pick up Astra the Christmas fairy!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful friend

Yesterday was my friend Michelle's birthday! I made her a pretty simple card, but the big bow and button made it special. I dry embossed the lower part of the crumb cake card with the fun Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, then tied the wide striped grosgrain ribbon around and made my nice poufy bow. I tied the button (from the Deck the Halls big designer buttons collection) onto the bow with some linen thread and tied that in a bow. I then stamped "congratulations" from an old SAB set with cherry cobbler ink (that's my new favorite red - it's just gorgeous!)

I finished off the inside as well with the second part of the sentiment, and a small strip of Deck the Halls dsp. I was quite happy with the result, and I think Michelle was too!

Winter Marci in Fall colors

Howdy La-La fans, how is everyone today? I have to admit, it's been one heck of a week trying to get Jackson used to his new big-boy bed...and I'm exhausted! But...I know we'll get there!! In the meantime, I have found some time to keep playing with my wonderful Marci and Luka stamps. I was totally inspired by this card from Karen, because I just loved the colors she used, and I remembered I had this fabulous dp from my LSS (sorry, can't remember who makes it just now!) that would be perfect.

I stamped Winter Marci on a perfect panel from MFT, then stamped her again on the reverse side of this amazing floral print for the linen look burgundy to paper piece her coat and hat. I then used my W1 and W3 to add some shading to her coat - that works like a charm!! I colored in the rest of her, cut out the pieces and put her all together. Then, I cut her out with my label bazillion nestie (I can't keep track of anything these days!) and went to town with my sponges and some creamy caramel and true thyme inks.

I went for a very simple layout, and just added a strip of the reverse paper with some lace across the card, hten started playing wtih different buttons. I hadn't quite finished when my good friend and dealer Michelle came over with my jumbo button share from SU! It was EXACTLY what I needed!!

I finished off the inside with some more dp and a great SU! stamped greeting, and voila! Perfect fall bday card! So...what have YOU been creating with your LaLa Land stamps?? We'd love to see your creations, so please link them up on the LLLC blog here, and you could win some LaLa Loot! Have a fabulous day!

PWC125: Gotta be Square!

It's that time again...for our weekly Paper Pretties Wednesday Challenge! This week, we're challenging you all to make it square! A square card. This was an easy one for me...since more than half my cards these days are square. but, since I knew it was the last Monday of the month, I figured I'd wait to do my card for this weeks Mojo Monday Circle or square sketch...and I'm glad I did!

I used our adorable new Tis the Season Sophia from our October stamp release - isn't she just darling just peeking through all those packages?? LOVE it!! I colored her with copics and cut her out with Nesties. Then, I pulled out my beloved Eskimos Kisses paper and got to work with the sketch! I don't usually mix this many patterns...but I think it works!

I added some liquid applique to her boots and the cuffs of her coat to give her a little added dimension, and slipped some clear tinsel from SU! behind her. Cute, no??

Of course, I finished the inside too. Now, head on over to the paper pretties blog to see all of this week's square creations from our amazing DT, and be sure to link up your OWN square cards to WIN a FREE Paper Pretties stamp set. Also while you're there...check out our new Digi Design team call - I mean, who can't use more stamps?!?

MFT WSC Gift item...

Good morning everyone, I hope you all are off to a good start! I finally got a chance to play along with the My Favorite Things Wednesday Stamp Club challenge to make a gift bag or other packaging. I thought, I should make a gift bag for my coffee sleeve and matching card that was on Kim's blog here. So, off to work I went with my caffeine lovin' a la mode!!

I used Allison's sketch for LPS from this week to design the panel for my bag. I used the same colors as the original set (pink pirouette, kraft, chocolate chip and Pear pizzazz) Such a fun sketch to work with, and such a fun project! Thanks for all the fun challenges everyone!!

Papertrey October Blog Hop Challenge

I decided I need to stamp more (and clean less? Not sure the hubby would agree but oh well!) so I thought I'd play along with this month's PTI Blog Hop Challenge. The challenge was to make a card for a winter holiday NOT Christmas. That was easy for me. I have several athiest (or perhaps they are pagans?) friends who celebrate the Winter Solstice in place of any other religious holiday - and through the trees is perfect for that!

I stamped it with versamark on white cardstock, then embossed with clear ep. I brayered on some various blues/purples to make it look like white birch trees at night - perfect for winter solstice! I added the Peace from the old Snowflake Serenade set, embossed with white ep on my navy card base...added some white polkadot ribbon, and some h.s. ghost snowflakes and rhinestones and it was done!

Thanks for hopping through...I hope you enjoyed my Winter Solstice card!

Monday Whatnots...

Happy Monday everyone! I'm back this morning with a Monday Whatnot from Paper Pretties and ARTish - our newest line of images that's all digital! And what's not to love about these adorable new images? For today's card I used an image that was released last Monday, Baloo.  I totally fell in love with this image the first time I saw it since I have been stringing popcorn and cranberries for my Christmas tree since I was about 12!

So sweet and easy to work with, Baloo can be printed at any size you want...for a nice big image like I've got, or you can print it out much smaller to fit a little notecard. For my card I wanted a nice big, eye-catching image. I colored it with my copics, ten cut it out with my circle nestabilities.For the layout, I used this weekend's Sketch for You to Try by Jen del Muro - with just a few minor tweeks and my Basic Grey Eskimo Kisses paper.

I finished off the card with some bling, and I used some plain, clear rhinestones that I colored with my copic marker to match the cranberries - perfect huh?? Be sure to go check out the two adorable new images available today from ARTish and Paper Pretties over at the Paper Pretties blog, and have a wonderful Monday!

Julia's Leaves...

The latest challenge on the Children's challenge blog was to create something with leaves...either real leaves, stamps, etc. Julia decided to make some art using real leaves...and I love how it turned out!

She went out and picked some leaves from our bushes out front with her Nana, then glued them on some black cardstock.

Halloween Greeting Card Kid

I just loved this set...and HAD to have it once I saw it in the new SU! catty!! Thankfully, my dealer...err...good friend and stamper in crime Michelle was able to help assuage that need.

I ran the black through with the spider web embossing folder, then used some moonlight smooch to make it sparkle. I layered that on a pumpkin pie card base, then added the scalloped bit across the top which was cut with the Tasteful Trim die. Then I added the narrow grosgrain ribbon.

I colored the main image with my aquapainter and watercolor wonder crayons. I had stamped her with stazon onto watercolor paper...so it was great for watercoloring! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Bellarific Friday - sketch time!

WOW! I'm playing in a Bellarific Friday challenge...it's been a LONG while since I've done that. This week there's a fabulous sketch to use, and I finally got to ink up one of my neglected Mo Manning stamps. I love this image...makes me think of my little Jack on our wonderful Maisy dog. Of course, she would NEVER let him actually do this...although I think my brother's lab probably would!!

I stamped Buds-Boy on an MFT Perfect Panel with Momento black ink, then got busy with my copics. I keep wanting to try using my Prismacolor Pencils a la Linda Heavens (have you SEEN her amazing work??) but I keep chickening out! So...for this card I used just my markers, but I'm still quite happy with it. It's very difficult to shade with black (almost as difficult as to take a photo of a black pet - I know, I have 2!!) but I think I did ok!

After I finished coloring, and figuring out what papers I was going to use, and stitching (don't look too closely at that...still getting used to my new Pixie sewing machine!) I decided it needed a fun sentiment. I pulled this from my old MFT Friends Furever set, and bent the sentiment as I placed it on the block so it would curve right along the cut circle.

I finished off the inside too, with some more DP stitched onto white, and I added another sentiment from that same set inside.

Be sure to hit Blogabella to see all the various takes on this fun sketch today!

The Witching Hour...

The witching hour - every mother knows it! It's that last hour before "daddy" comes home and rescues us from our angelic children who are tossing every toy they own all around the house while screaming at the top of their lungs. You know that time...when you're pulling out what little hair you have left and hoping there's a chilled bottle of wine in the fridge. Now we have Witch Marci to help us get through that last hour, because we won't care how messy the house is while we're coloring her!! :-)

Witch Marci is just adorable, and so much fun to color!! For my card today, I used the great Halloween stack from Basic Grey, along with the matching chipboard stickers, some fun fuzzy spiders and a killer rhinestone spider web.

I really love coloring in these new Marci stamps. They are nice and big (this is a 6 by 6 card!) so that you have lots of open space for all that fun shading.

I finished off the inside too...with some more basic grey paper and a happy Halloween sticker from last year's $pot at Target. Gotta love those good buys!! Have a wonderful Thursday...and make sure you've got that bottle of wine all chilled! :-)

Have a very Prettie Birthday, Heather!

Today we are celebrating Heather's birthday, Prettie style! We're hopping along with our birthday wishes to our fearless leader! If you didn't get here from Jackie's, then head on back to Cindy's blog so you see all the wonderful Birthday Wishes from the DT.

I used the adorable Dog-Gone Birthday for Heather's card, and paired  him with some Basic Grey Nook and Pantry paper. Isn't it sweet?? I love all those cupcakes on there!!

 I colored this little doggie with my copics (lots of E's) and then cut him out with my deckle edge oval nestie. I added a nice big boy wtih some red gingham ribbon.

I also finished off the inside with some more paper and one of the sweet sentiments from this fabulous set (along with the little doggy paw prints!) I hope this has arrived at Heather's today, and that she's enjoying it! Now keep on hopping to Jane's blog to see what gorgeous creation she has for Heather today! And don't forget to leave some birthday love for Heather at the end of the hop!

PWC124: Green, Orange and Purple??

Well, when I saw the color challenge for today's Paper Pretties Weekly Challenge I thought "Oh my!" But then I realized that they are perfect halloween colors!

I figured the  Wicked Old Bird set would be perfect, and got busy coloring her in. I then used this week's Mercy sketch for the layout, and my Matilda mini deck of papers from Cosmo Cricket for the various layers.

I punched out the greeting with my spellbinders tag die, and also finished off the inside. Now it's all set to send off to a friend with a good sense of humor!

We'd love to have you play along with us...for all the info on how to play (and to upload your card) head on over to the Paper Pretties blog...YOU could win a free Paper Pretties stamp set for your very own!!

MFT Wednesday stamp Club...for the Boys!I

I finally got it done - just under the wire too! As soon as I saw the Wednesday stamp club challenge this week I knew what I wanted to do. I think I'll have to send this card to my brother since it's something we used to indulge in constantly growing up!

Don't these two Pure Innocence characters look adorable? They just belong together...and she's being a little mischievous today. I stamped them on a perfect panel, and colored them with my copics. Then I freehand cut the tree from some chocolate chip CS. I swiped a white craft inkpad onto the tree, then sponged some chocolate chip ink onto the other side to give it some shadow and dimension. Lastly, I added some polar white flower soft to make the snowy ground

I used some Basic Grey paper for the background, and added a die-namics cut snowflake on top of a Heidi Swapp ghost snowflake, with a glittery brad in the center, then I added the sentiment from the Candy Cane Kisses a la mode set.

I of course finished off the inside as well...and you can see she made her decision and let the snowball fly. For the inside, I used a sentiment and snowflakes from the mini set which came with last month's VIP kit.

Monday Whatnots from Paper Pretties...What's not to love?!

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! We have some exciting things going on at Paper Pretties! Today I have the wonderful opportunity of introducing you to Paper Pretties newest Illustrator...ARTish! ARTish will be joining our team as both an illustrator and as a design team member! For her full bio, check out the "Our Team" section of the Paper Pretties store.

With the addition of ARTish to our team, we are also adding a new weekly release! ARTish's images are going to be digital downloads and we will be releasing at least 2 new digi images every single Monday....They will be called "Paper Pretties Monday Whatnots...What's not to love!".

ARTish's illustration style is such a perfect fit with our Paper Pretties family! If you love to color you will LOVE her images!

Since today is our first official Paper Pretties Monday Whatnots, we are releasing 6 awesome digi images by ARTish! All 6 new images are available in the digital stamp section of the Paper Pretties store!

The 6 ARTish digis that are being released today are: BALOO, BOB, CLAUS, COCOA, FELICE, and HALLEY.

You can see some samples over on the Paper Pretties blog...I haven't had a chance to make one yet with 2 sick kids all weekend and a husband out of town...thank goodness my parents are still here or I would have gone berserk!!

And if you haven't checked already...the winners from the new release blog hop have been posted - check to see if you were one of them!!!

Paper Pretties has new Holiday Stamps!

Today is the day of releases!! Be sure to scroll down after finishing this post to see my new LaLa Land Crafts release as well!!

If you've just arrived from Jackie's blog and her gorgeous Holiday Fairy Meg card, you're in the right spot for some more Paper Pretties new release goodness! If not, then head on back to the Paper Pretties blog so you don't miss out on anything! There are some fabulous stamps in this release, and I know you'll love them! I get to share with you a card I made with the new O Christmas Tree set.

I used this week's Monday Mojo sketch (she's already up to # 160 - amaszing isn't it?) for my layout...and I went a little out of my comfort zone with lots of glitter, embossing, techniques, and embellies. I first embossed the beautiful swirly tree with gold embossing powder on my artichoke cs, then I painted inside it with some bleach (I must love you all, because I HATE bleach!!) I added some rhinestones which I had colored with a copic marker (that is SOOO cool!) and then I stamped the star with my glue pad and adhered some gold glass glitter. I then folded up part of the white cs to look like a snowdrift and covered that with white glass glitter.

To keep with the sketch, I added the 2 white brads, and then to be different I added the sentiment near the bottom. I used soem basic grey paper (I forget which collection, but I'm sure Allison could tell me!) and some red cardstock on top of gold. I have to say this set is lots of fun to work with, and I can't wait to see what YOU all come up with!

For this release, Heather is once again giving away one each of the 7 new sets. In order to be eligible to win, you must leave a comment on EVERY stop of the hop...then all those will be put in a hat and names drawn. Good luck! Now keep on hoping to Jane's blog to see what amazing things she's created to share with us all, and tell her I said "hi!"

New Caroling Luka is out!

I've got two release hops today, so be sure to scroll around to see BOTH of the projects I have to share today!!

Here's Caroling Luka! Isn't he a doll? If you've arrived from Karen's blog you're in the right spot, but if you've just arrived, then head on back to Irina's blog so you don't miss out on any of the gorgeous creations of our DT!

This new Luka is SOOO sweet! I had so much fun coloring him to match this fabulous American Crafts paper! I thought he was perfect with the lines of holiday houses behind him. Look...his face is all pink from the frosty weather as he's out singing Carols to the neighbors!

I also finished off the inside of the card...cute no? The sentiments I used for this card both came from Paper Pretties...don't they work perfectly? Now...before you head along to the next stop on the hop, be sure to leave a comment so you can be entered to win the fabulous blog candy Irina is giving to one lucky winner, with Basic Grey paper and embellies, nestabilities, primas and of course a fabulous LaLa land Stamp, you can't go wrong! Be sure to leave a comment on every stop along the way to be entered to win, and for more chances, like LaLa Land on Facebook, and post about this blog candy to YOUR blog, or on your favorite crafting site to let others in on the fun! Leave us a message on THIS POST to let us know you've done that for your extra chances!! We'll choose a winner on Tuesday morning so as to give you time to spread the word!

Now keep on hoping to see what amazing creation Cheryl has to share with you all today...I know I will!